History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 16

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 16

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1 The plans of Gustavus were both deep and patriotic. "The year 1624," says the historiau Geijer, " was one of the few years that the king was able to devote to the internal development of the realm." He looked at the subject of colonization in America, says Rev. Dr. W. M. Reynolds in the introduction to his translation of Acrelius, " with the eye of a statesman who understood the wants not ouly of his own country but of the world, and was able with prophetic glance to penetrate into the distant ages of the future." He proposed there tu found a free State, where the laborer should reap the fruit of his toil, where the rights of conscience should be inviolate, and which should be open to the whole Protestant world, then sugaged in a struggle for existence with all the papal powers of Europe. All should be secure in their persons, their property, and their rights of couscience. It should be an asylum for the persecuted of all nations, a place of security for the honor of the wives and daughters of those who were flying from bloody battle-fields and from homes made desolate by the fire and sword of the persecutor. No slaves should burden the soil; " for," said Gustavus,-and we realize the pro- found truth of his political economy after an experience of two centuries, at the end of which slavery expired amid the desth-throes of our civil war,-" slaves cost a great deal, labor with reluctance, and soon perish from hard usnge. But the Swedish nation is industrious aud intelligent, and hereby we shall gain more by a fros people with wives and chil- diea." -- Scharf's History of Philadelphia.

with the king. But just as it appeared to be at its end it received new life. Another Hollander, by the name of Peter Menewe, sometimes called Menuet,2 made his appearance in Sweden. He had been in the service of Holland in America, where he became involved in difficulties with the officers of the West India Company, in consequence of which he was re- called home and dismissed from their service. But he was not discouraged by this, and went over to Sweden, where he renewed the representations which Usselinex had formerly made in regard to the excel- lence of the country, and the advantages that Sweden might derive from it.

Queen Christina,3 who succeeded her royal father in the government, was glad to have the project thus renewed. The royal chancellor, Count Axel Oxen- stierna, understood well how to put it in operation. He took the West India Trading Company into his own hands as its president, and encouraged other noblemen to take shares in it. King Charles I. of England had already, iu the year 1634, upon repre- sentations made to him by John Oxenstierna, at that time Swedish ambassador in London, renounced in favor of the Swedes all claims and pretensions of the English to that country growing out of their rights as its first discoverers. Hence everything seemed to be settled upon a firm foundation, and all earnestness was employed in the prosecution of the plans for a colony. As a good beginning the first colony was sent off,4 and Peter Menewe was placed over it, as being best acquainted in those regions.

They set sail from Göttenburg in a ship of war called the " Key of Calmar," followed by a smaller vessel bearing the name of " Bird Griffin," both laden with people, provisions, ammunition, and merchan- dise suitable for traffic and gifts to the Indians. These ships successfully reached their place of desti- nation. The high expectations which the emigrants had of that new land were well met by the first news which they had of it. They made their first landing on the bay or entrance to the river Poutaxat, which they called the river of New Sweden, and the place where they landed they called Paradise Point. A purchase of land was immediately made from the In- dians, and it was determined that all the land on the western side of the river, from the point called Cape Inlopen, or Heulopen, up to the fall called San- tickan,5 and all the country inland, as much as was

" An autograph letter found in the royal archives in Stockholm gives the name as commouly written in English, Minuit.

8 Christina succeeded her father, the great Gustaf Adolph, ju 1632, when ouly six years of age, and the kingdom remajued under a regency until she was eighteen, in 1644. Consequently she was only eleven years of age iu 1637, when the American colony was established.

4 In August, 1637, although it did not reach the Delaware until 1638. Se Odhner, "Sveriges Iure Historia,' p. 302. He reached the Delaware in the middle of April.

6 Treuton Falle, which Campanius (p. 49 of Translation) calls "the Falls of Assinpink." On Visscher'e map of Pennsylvania, given in Du- poncean's Translation of Campanius, to face p. 78, we find "Sunhiccan's" given as the moet northern point.

THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENTS.

ceded, should belong to the Swedish crown forever. Posts were driven in the ground as landmarks, which were still seen in their places sixty years afterwards. A deed was drawn up for the land thus purchased. This was written in Dutch, for no Swede was yet able to interpret the language of the heathen. The In- dians subscribed their hands and marks. The writ- ing was sent home to Sweden to be preserved in the royal archives. Mans Kling was the surveyor. He laid out the land, and made a map of the whole river, with its tributaries, islands, and points, which is still to be found in the royal archives in Sweden. Their clergyman was Reones Torkillus, of East Gothland.

The first abode of the newly-arrived emigrants was at a place called, by the Indians, Hopokahacking. There, in the year 1638, Peter Menuet built a fortress which he named Fort Christina, after the reigning

Cristina Skank

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Hollander

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PLAN OF THE TOWN AND FORT OF CHRISTINA, BESIEGED BY THE DUTCH IN 1655,

[From Campanius' New Sweden.]

A, Fort Christina. B, Christina Creek. C, Town of Christina Hamn. D, Tennekong Land. E, Fish Kill. F, Slaugenborg. G, Myggenborg. H, Rottenhorg. J, Flingenhorg. K, Timber Island. L, Kitchen. M, Position of the besiegers. N, Harbor. O, Mine. P. Swamp.

queen of Sweden. The place, situated upon the west side of the river, was probably chosen so as to be out of the way of the Hollanders, who claimed the eastern side,-a measure of prudence until the arrival of a greater force from Sweden. The fort was built upon an eligible site, not far from the mouth of the creek, so as to secure them in the navigable waters of the Miniquas, which was afterwards called Christina Kihl or Creek. The country was wild and unin- habited by the Hollanders. They had two or three forts on the river,-Fort Nassau, where Gloucester now stands, and another at Horekihl, down on the bay. But both of these were entirely destroyed by the Americans, and their occupants driven away. The following extract from the " History of the New

Netherlands," which Adrian van der Donck pub- lished in the year 1655, with the license and privilege as well of the States-General as of the West India Company, will serve as proof of what we have said: " The place is called Horekihl,1 but why so called we know not. But this is certain, that some years back, before the English and Swedes came hither, it was taken up and settled as a colony by Hollanders, the arms of the States being at the same time set up in brass. These arms having been pulled down by the villainy of the Indians, the commissary there resident demanded that the head of the traitor should be de- livered to him. The Indians, unable to escape in any other way, brought him-the head, which was accepted as a sufficient atonement of their offense. But some time afterwards, when we were at work in the fields, and unsuspicious of danger, the Indians came as friends, surrounded the Hollanders with overwhelm- ing numbers, fell upon them, and completely exter- minated them. Thus was the colony destroyed, though sealed with blood and dearly enough pur- chased."

Notwithstanding all this, the Hollanders believed that they had the best right to the Delaware River, yea, a better right than the Indians themselves. It was their object to secure at least all the land lying between said river and their city of New Amsterdam, where was their stronghold, and which country they once called "The New Netherlands." But as their forces were still weak, they always kept one or another of their people upon the east side of the river to watch those who might visit the country. As soon, there- fore, as Menuet landed with his Swedish company notice of the fact was given to the Director-General of the Hollanders in New Amsterdam. He waited for some time until he could ascertain Menuet's pur- pose, but when it appeared that he was erecting a fortress for the Swedes he sent him the following pro- test : 2

1 Horekill (variously written Horeskill, Hosrkill, Whorekill) is no doubt a corruption of Hoornkill, so called from Hvoro, a city in Hol- land, from which Captain Mey sailed upon his expedition to America when he discovered or made his first visit to the Delaware. The deri- vation of the name suggested by Van Sweringen, in his " Account of the Settling of tho Swedes and Dutch at the Delaware" (contained in vol. iii., pp. 342-347, of " Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New York," etc.), is of a piece with the rest of his narrative, and enti- fled to no consideration. Horekill was about two leagues from Cape Henlopen, and is probably the stream now called Lewes Creek, in the Stete of Delaware. See also the note to p. 21 of Ferris' " Original Set- tlements on the Dalaware."

" New York Office in the General Index to the Dutch Records, Lib. A. The Swedish annalists who have given any account of this Swedish colony in America have represented the hrst emigration as taking place in the time of King Gustaf Adolphi, about the year 1627. This was the opinion of Th. Camp. of Holm. (See his " Nya Swerige" (New Sweden), pages 57, 58, 72, 73, which others have followed.) (See the " Dissert. de I'lant, Ecclesia Swec. in America," p. 5.) But this was only a conjec- ture suggested by the great preparations which were made at that time, but which were suddenly broken off. It would undoubtedly have been all the better if the work had been taken hold of at that time with all earnestness. But this protest is proof to the contrary, and shows that the first arrival must have taken place some time in the year preceding the building of the fortress (that is to say, in 1638).

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

" THURSDAY, May 6, 1638.

" I, William Kieft, Director-General of the New Netherlands, residing upon the island Manhattan, in the Fort Amsterdam, under the govern- ment belonging to the High and Mighty States-General of the United Netherlands and the West India Company, chartered by the Council Chamber of Amsterdam, make known to you, Peter Menuet, who style yourself Commander in the service of her Royal Majesty, the Queen of Swedeo ; that the whole South River of the New Netherlands, both above and below, hath already, for many years, been our property, oc- cupied by our forts, and sealed with our blood; which was also done when you were in the servico of the New Netherlands, and you are, therefore, well aware of this. But whereas yon have now come among our forts to build & fortress to our injury and damage, which we shall never permit ; as we are also assured that Her Royal Majesty of Sweden has never given you authority to build forts upon our rivers and coasts, nor to settle people on the land, nor to traffic io peltries, nor to under- take anything to our injury : We do, therefore, protest against all the disorder and injury, and all the evil consequences of bloodshed, uproar, and wrong which our Trading Company may thus suffer: und that we shall protect our rights in such manner as we may find most advisable." Then follows the usuel conclusion. In the history of the New Nether- lands already cited, Adrian van der Donck likewise relates how protest was made against the building of Fort Christina, but there also he gives evidence of the weakness of the Ilollanders in the river on the first arrival of the Swedes, and that their strength consisted almost entirely in great words. "On the river," he says, "lies, first, Maniqua's Kill, where the Swedes linve built Fort Christina, where the largest ships can load und unload at the shore. There is another place on the river called Schulkihl, which is also navigahle. That, also, was formerly under the control of the Hollanders, but is now mostly under the government of the Swedes. In that River (Delaware) there are various islands and other places formerly belonging to the Hollanders, whose name they still hear, which sufficiently shows that the river belongs to the Hol- landers, and not to the Swedes. Their very commencement will con- vict them. Before the year 1638, one Minnewits, who had formerly acted as Director for the Trading Company at Manhattans, came into the river in the ship ' Key of Colmar,' and the yacht called the ' Bird Grif- fin.' He gave out to the Hollander, Mr. Van der Nederhorst, the agent of the West India Company in the South River, that he was on a voyage to the West India Isles, and that he was staying there to take in wood and water. Whereupon, quid Hollander allowed him to go free. But Bome time after, some of our people going thither, found him still there, and he had planted a garden, and the plants were growing in it. In astonishment we asked the reasons for such procedure, and if he in- tended to stay there? To which he answered evasively, alleging vari- ons excuses for hie conduct. The third time they found them settled and building a fort. Then we saw their purpose. As BOOD 68 he was informed of it, Director Kieft protested against it, but in vain."

Thus Peter Menuet made a good beginning for the settlement of the Swedish colony in America. He guarded his little fort for over three years, and the Hollanders neither attempted nor were able to over- throw it. After some years of faithful service he died at Christina. In his place followed Peter Hollen- dare, a native Swede, who did not remain at the head of its affairs more than a year and a half. He re- turned home to Sweden, and was a major at Skeps- holm, in Stockholm, in the year 1655.

The second emigration took place under Lieut .- Col. John Printz, who went out with the appointment of Governor of New Sweden. He had a grant of four hundred rix-dollars for his traveling expenses, and twelve hundred dollars silver as his annual salary. The company was invested with the exclusive priv- ilege of importing tobacco into Sweden, although that article even then was regarded as unnecessary and injnrious, althongh indispensable since the establish- ment of the bad habit of its use.1 Upon the same

occasion was also sent out Magister John Campanius Holm,2 who was also called by their excellencies, the Royal Council and Admiral Claes Fleming, to become the government chaplain, and watch over the Swedish congregation. The ship on which they sailed was called the "Fama." It went from Stockholm to Götheborg, and there took its freight. Along with this went two other ships of the line, the "Swan" and the " Charitas," laden with people and the neces- saries of life. Under Governor Printz, ships came to the colony in three distinct voyages. The first ship was the "Black Cat," with ammunition and mer- chandise for the Indians. Next the ship "Swan," on a second voyage, with emigrants, in the year 1647. Afterwards two other ships, called the "Key" and the "Lamp." During these times the clergymen, Mr. Lawrence Charles Lockenins and Mr. Israel Holgh, were sent out to the colony. The instructions for the Governor were as follows :

" Instructions, according to which Her Royal Majesty, our Most Gra- cions Queen, will have the Lieutenant-Colonel, now also the appointed Governor over New Sweden, the noble and well-born John Printz, to regulate himself as well during his voyage as upon his arrival in that country. Given at Stockholm, the 13th of August, 1642.

" Inasmuch as some of the subjects of Her Royal Majesty and of the Crown of Sweden have, for some time past, undertaken to sail to the constof the West Indies, and have already succeeded in conquering aud purchasing a considerable tract of land, and in promoting commerce, with the especial object of extending the jurisdiction and greatness of Iler Royal Majesty and of the Swedish crown, and have called the coun- try New Sweden ; wherefore and inasmuch as Her Royal Majesty ap- proves and finds this, their undertaking and voyaging, not only laud- able in itself, but reasonable, and likely, in the course of time, to benefit and strengthen Her Roynl Majesty and the Swedish throne : So has Her Royal Majesty, for the promotion of that work and for the assistance of those who participate therein, furnished theni for the making of that important voyage, and also for the confirming and strengthening of that important work thus begun in New Sweden, for said voyage, two ships, named the 'Fama' and the ' Swan,' as well as some other meaos neces- sary thereto, nuder a certain Governor, whom Her Majesty has provided with sufficient and necessary powers, having thereunto appointed and legitimated Lieutenant-Colonel John Printz, whom she has accordingly Been good to instruct upon the points following :

"2. The ships above named having proceeded to Gütheborg, Jolın Printz, the Governor of New Sweden, shall now, without any delny, take his departure to said place, so arranging his journey by land that he may reach there by the first opportunity. Going down to Götheborg, he shall assist in ordering and arranging everything in the best manner possible, and especially in accordance with the best regulatione that the members of the company can have made ; and as concerns his own per- so11 and that of his attendants, he shall so arrange his affairs that he may immediately, in the month of September next following, set sail from this country and proceed to sea.

"3. But either before or at the time the ships are about to set sail from Gütlleborg, the Governor shall consult with the skippers and officers of the ships, considering and deciding, according to the state of the wind and other circumstances, whether he shall direct his course to the north of Scotland or through the channel between France and Eng- land.

"4. Under wny and on the journey, he must see to it that the officers aod people of the ships perform their duties at sea truly and faithfully; and in all important and serious matters he can always avail himself of the aid and counsel of the persons aforesaid who usually form the coun- cil of a ship; he shall also have every importaot occurrence carefully noted, cansing a correct log, or journal, thereof to be kept, of which also he shall, by every opportunity, send hither a correct copy.

1 Placat on tobacco for the year 1641.

2 1t was long a favorite usage in Sweden to designete clergymen by the name of the place or province in which they were born, so that Helm may bere be equivalent to "a native of Stockholm."

THE FIRST SWEDISH SETTLEMENTS.

" 5. The Governor, God willing, having arrived in New Sweden, he must, for his better information, bear in mind that the boundaries of the country of which our subjects have taken possession extend, in virtue of the articles of the contract entered into with the wild ichabit- ante of the conatry, as its rightful lords, from the sea-coast at Cape Hinlopen,1 upwards along the west side of Godin's Bay,2 and so up the Great Sonth River,3 on wards to Mingue's Kil, 4 where Fort Christina is built, and thence still farther along the South river, and up to a place which the wild inhabitants call Sankikans, 6 where the farthest bounda- ries of New Sweden are to be found. This tract or district of country extends in length abont thirty German miles, but in breadth, and into the interior, it is, in and by the contract, conditioned that Her Royal Majesty's subjects, and the participants in this Company of navigators, may hereafter occupy as much land as they may desire.

"6. Recently, and in the year last past, vis., 1641, several English families, probably amounting to sixty persous in all, bave settled, and begno to build and cultivate the land elsewhere, namely, upon the east side of the above mentioned Sonth river, on a little stream Damed Fer- ken's Kil ;6 so also have the above-named subjects of Her Majesty, and participants in the Company, purchased for themselves of the wild in- habitants of the country, the whole eastern side of the river, from the mouth of the aforesaid great river at Cape May up to a stream named Warraticen's Kil,7 which tract extends about twelve German miles, in- cluding also the said Ferken's Kil, with the intention of thus drawing to themselves the English aforesaid. This purchase the Governor shall always, with all his power, keep intact, and thus bring these families under the jurisdiction and government of Her Royal Majesty and the Swedish Crown; especially as we are informed that they themselves are not disposed thereto; and should they be induced, as a free people, voluntarily to submit themselves to a government which can maintain and protect them, it is believed that they might shortly amount to some hundred strong. But however that may be, the Governor is to seek to bring these English under the government of the Swedish Crown, inas- much as Iler Royal Majesty finds it to be thus better for herself and the Crown as partners in this undertaking ; and they might also, with good reason, be driven out and away from said place; therefore, Her Royal Majesty aforesaid will most graciously leave it to the discretion of Gov- ernor l'rintz so to consider and act in the premises as can be done with propriety and success. 8

"7. There is no doubt that the lolland West India Company will seek to appropriate to themselves the place aforesaid, and the large tract of land upon which the English have settled, and the whole of the above- named east side of the Great South River, and that so much the rather as their fort or fortification of Nassau, which they have manned with about twenty nien, is not very far therefrom, upon the same eastern side of the river, just as they also make pretensions to the whole western side of the aforesaid South River, and consequently to all that of which our aufjects aforesaid have taken possession, which they have seized, relying upon their Fort Nassau, whereby they would take possession of the whole South River, and of the whole country situated on both sides of the same river. It is for this that they have protested against the beginning which her before-mentioned Majesty's subjects have made in settling and building, and, so far as they could, have always opposed and Bought to prevent our people from going up the South River and past their Fort Nassan. Therefore shall the Governor take measures for

meeting the agents and participants of said Holland West India Cupi- pany in a proper manger, and with mildness, but firmly remonstrate and make known to tbemi the upright intentions of Her Royal Majesty and hier subjects in the premises, that nothing herein has been sought, er is now sought, other than a free opening for commerce; that Her Royal Majesty's subjects have, in a just and regular manner, purchased of the proper owners and possessors of the country that district of which they have takeo possessivo, and which they have begun to cultivate, and that they cannot, therefore, without injustice oppose Her Royal Majesty or her subjects, or seek to disturb them in their possessions without doing them great injury. But should the same Holland Company, contrary to all better hopes, allow themselves to undertake any hostility, or make any attack, then, in such case, it will only be proper to be prepared with the best means that circumstances will allow, and to seek to repel force by force; therefore, as this, like everything else, is best judged of and decided on the ground, so does Iler Royal Majesty place it in the Gov- ernor'e discretion to meet such vexations in the first instance with kind admenitions, bat if these are not effective, then with soverity, accord- ing to the best of his understanding, so as to arrange everything to the best advantage and honor alike of Her Royal Majesty and the members of the Company. But if no such treobles arise, which it is hoped will be the case, and Her Royal Majesty and her subjects remain undisturbed in that which they have rightfully brought into their possession, then shall the Governor hold good friendship and neighborhood with the aforesaid Hollanders at Fort Nassau, and with those who dwell upon the north river at Mankatan 's9 or New Amsterdam, as also with the English who dwell in the country of Virginia, and make no inroads upon any of them, nor interfere with that of which they are in the actual posses- sion. Especially, since the adjacent English in Virginia have already commenced to offer Her Royal Majesty'e subjects in New Sweden all kinds of usefal assistance, and to let them procure npon reasonable pay- ment sach cattle and seed-corn as they may desire; therefore shall the Governor continually sevk te give free and nodisturbed course to the correspondence and commerce thus beguo with the English to the use and benefit of Her Royal Majesty's subjects aforesaid.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 16

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534